Can you stop for a moment and take a deep breath? In. And then out.
It’s a beautiful feeling, isn’t it? Calming, centering, life-affirming.
Most of us take the simple act of breathing for granted. But when breathing on your own is difficult or impossible, the exact opposite feelings occur.
Distress, discomfort and even panic. Many patients who come to St Paul’s Hospital need help with their breathing.
As the Respiratory Therapy Clinical Supervisor, it’s my job to make sure my team and I are there to support patients, and we have one area we need to improve.
When vulnerable patients in the Intensive Care Unit need to go to another part of the hospital for a test or other important appointment, they need a special portable ventilator.
That’s why I’m writing—with some urgency—to ask for your support.
Will you share a generous gift with St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation today? Your donation will go directly toward the purchase of a state-of-the-art ‘Hamilton C-1’ portable ventilator.
This advanced medical equipment will mean a safer and more comfortable stay in St. Paul’s for our most vulnerable patients.
And thanks to a caring couple who share your dedication to support the best patient care possible at our Hospital, your donation will be eligible for a matching gift from Terry and Denis Sirois.
They believe so strongly in helping patients that they have committed $25,000 to match your gift.
I’ll be so grateful to know you joined with other caring community donors to instantly double your gift.
After all, breathing is the key to life, and strong healthy breathing is one of the most important things our patients need for healing.
A ventilator is an essential tool. When a patient is unable to breathe well enough to provide oxygen to the brain and body, this machine gently pushes air into the lungs and allows it to return…a job the lungs would typically do when they are healthy and functioning properly.
Patients need the breathing assistance of a ventilator during surgery, illness, due to trauma (like a car accident), or when patients have damage to their lungs caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Many of our patients who require the help of a ventilator are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). They often arrive in another department before they are transferred to the ICU. And while they are receiving treatment in the ICU, they may need multiple tests, like MRIs, CT scans or X-Rays, which can only be done in specialized parts of the Hospital.
This means that patients who need ventilation may need to be moved throughout the Hospital several times. This can get very tricky for my respiratory therapy team, and we often have to weigh the value of the test against the drawbacks of getting a patient to the testing area.
Hope is on the horizon.
The Hamilton C-1 Transport Ventilator is exactly what my team needs to help a patient breathe as comfortably and safely during transport as they would in their bed in the ICU.
And our medical team will not have to choose between a patient’s optimum breathing and a critically important test. You can see why it’s so urgent to buy this state-of-the-art equipment and provide a much better experience for Intensive Care patients. I hope you will help me continue to give the gift of breath to my patients.
Your donation will get us a step closer to a ‘Hamilton C-1’ portable ventilator.
Thank you for your thoughtful decision to support this campaign.
Thanks to you, my team and I will help our most vulnerable patients breathe safely as we transport them.
Sherren Gillott
Clinical Supervisor, Respiratory Therapy St. Paul’s Hospital
P.S. Your generosity will ensure my colleagues and I have the tools we need to help our patients breathe in comfort. Please share your generous gift today! Terry and Denis Sirois will instantly double your gift to make sure we reach our portable ventilator goal!
